Statement of Ecoowe, April 2, 1846 · Retracing the Bell Route: An Archive of Cherokee Removal · Retracing the Bell Route: An Archive of Cherokee Removal

Transcription: Statement of Ecoowe, April 2, 1846, Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation, Memorial of John Ross and Others, May 4, 1846

“Statement of Ecoowe
This day appeared … Ecoowe, who, being duly qualified, deposeth and saith as follows, to wit: About two years after the arrival of the emigrant Cherokees in the country at present occupied by the Cherokee nation of Indians, a conversation was held between John A. Bell and himself, in which Bell stated to him that a plan had been formed for the purpose of stealing horses, robbing, and house-burning, and once in a while to kill persons; and he and his party would be in opposition to John Ross as long as he remained in office; for, if they could break him down, they would succeed in breaking down the nation. Bell said, also, he and the principal men of his party wished to get some young men to go to the house of John Ross, assassinate him, and then fly across the line, beyond the reach of harm. To this Ecoowe replied, ‘You are depending upon too few friends, as Ross has a great many friends, who would, if he were assassinated, follow those across the line who should do it, and retaliate.’ He (Bell) also mentioned the principal men whom they wanted to have assassinated, and named, among others, Daniel Colston, who, he said, was a man of much influence and extensively known… After his conversation Bell left the nation, and moved into Arkansas.
The first thing that caused the present outlaws to secrete themselves, was killing a white man by the name of Campbell, a lawyer, for his money; and from whom they got a great deal of money. This statement was made to me by James Starr, sen., himself, who said that John A. Bell, Thomas Starr, Bean Starr, and David Buffington, were the persons concerned in it; and that David Buffington was afterwards presented with a pistol by John A. Bell, with which to defend himself in case of need. About this time Thomas and Bean Starr began to secrete themselves….they would not be deterred from destroying the Cherokee government, but would begin more earnestly in June, by which time the people would begin to see their intentions; that it would not be two years before the Cherokee government will be destroyed. In that time there will be neither counsellors nor government, nor would the Cherokees be permitted to govern themselves, but be under the government of the whites. Further, they said they intended to remove some time the coming fall…Stand Watie is the principal man of this party; next to him are John A. Bell, Ezekiel Starr, William Holt, Daniel McCoy, and George W. Adair...”; Statement of Ecoowe
Title: Statement of Ecoowe, April 2, 1846